Kings send defenseman Jeff Schultz to minors and reach the 23-man roster limit

The Kings made the last of their cuts Monday, sending defenseman Jeff Schultz to the Manchester (N.H.) Monarchs of the American Hockey League and reaching the NHL’s 23-man roster limit. Schultz was the odd-man out in a defense corps of eight. The Kings’ roster for opening night Thursday against the Minnesota Wild will look like this:

Goaltenders–Jonathan Quick, Ben Scrivens.

Defensemen–Drew Doughty, Keaton Ellerby, Matt Greene, Alec Martinez, Willie Mitchell, Jake Muzzin, Robyn Regehr, Slava Voynov.

Centers–Anze Kopitar, Colin Fraser, Mike Richards, Jarret Stoll.

Left wingers–Dustin Brown, Daniel Carcillo, Kyle Clifford, Matt Frattin, Dwight King.

Right wingers–Jeff Carter, Trevor Lewis, Jordan Nolan, Justin Williams.

Scrivens, Carcillo and Frattin are new to the roster for 2013-14. Jonathan Bernier, Dustin Penner and Rob Scuderi are playing elsewhere this season.

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Backup goaltending situation resolved with release of Mathieu Garon

Ever since the Kings traded backup goaltender Jonathan Bernier to the Toronto Maple Leafs last summer there was some question as to Bernier’s replacement. The Kings acquired goalie Ben Scrivens from the Maple Leafs, but there was no guarantee he would get the job. The Kings had six possible candidates to serve as Jonathan Quick’s backup when training camp began. With camp at an end Sunday, the Kings cut the number to one when they released Mathieu Garon and handed the role to Scrivens.

Scrivens was the Maple Leafs’ backup last season, going 7-9-0 with a 2.69 goals-against average in 20 appearances. He also was 14-7-1 with a 2.22 goals-against average in 22 games for Toronto of the American Hockey League. Garon, a former Kings starter, spent last season with the Tampa Bay Lightning and was 5-9-2 with a 2.90 GAA.

 

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Kings send three top prospects back to the minor leagues to start the season

So, it turns out Tanner Pearson, Linden Vey and Tyler Toffoli will play together again this season. The Kings loaned them to Manchester (N.H.) of the American Hockey League on Sunday. Those three formed the Monarchs’ top line last season, before Toffoli was recalled by the Kings late in the lockout-shortened NHL season. They played together at times during training camp with the Kings and in exhibitions. But there was simply no room for them on the Kings’ roster, which had to be trimmed to 23 by Monday.

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Four Kings in TSN’s top-50 rankings

This didn’t get much buzz on this side of the border, but the Canadian version of ESPN (except with tons of hockey highlights and games) asked for help from 14 unnamed NHL coaches and general managers to rank the league’s top 50 players. Four Kings made TSN’s list, led by center Anze Kopitar at No. 18. Defenseman Drew Doughty (19th), goaltender Jonathan Quick (22nd) and left wing Dustin Brown (48th) also made the cut.

Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins was No. 1.

 

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What happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas, including the Kings

The Kings announced announced a three-year contract extension with the MGM Grand in Las Vegas to continue playing exhibition games at the hotel’s arena. The “Frozen Fury” will continue through 2016. The Kings play host to the New York Rangers on Friday and the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday as part of the Frozen Fury XV this weekend. The Kings took a 10-3-2 record in Las Vegas into Friday’s game against the Rangers.

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Kings send defenseman Andrew Bodnarchuk to Manchester of the AHL

The Kings loaned defenseman Andrew Bodnarchuk to the Manchester (N.H.) Monarchs of the American Hockey League on Friday, trimming their roster to 28 before playing their final two exhibition games in Las Vegas. The Kings face the New York Rangers on Friday and the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. They open the season for real on Thursday against the Minnesota Wild at St. Paul, Minn.

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Meet the most important man in the NHL’s Dodger Stadium adventure

Dan Craig will play a key role in determining whether the NHL’s first outdoor game in Southern California is a success or a failure. Craig is the league’s ice-making guru, the man responsible for setting up and maintaining a rink for the Kings-Ducks game Jan. 25 at Dodger Stadium. Past outdoor games have featured snow and rain and even unexpected sun that threatened to turn the ice surface into mush. That’s all been preparation for playing a game in the warmth of Southern California. Everything Craig and his crew have learned from staging games in places like Boston, Chicago, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia will be put to the test when the Kings and Ducks take the ice at 7 p.m. on Jan. 25.

Craig spoke confidently Thursday about pulling it all together.

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Kings defenseman Drew Doughty talks about playing hockey at Dodger Stadium

Kings defenseman Drew Doughty spoke Thursday about the allure of playing the first outdoor hockey game in Southern California, on Jan. 25 against the Ducks at Dodger Stadium. Doughty is a fan of the Toronto Blue Jays, but that doesn’t make the upcoming game at Dodger Stadium any less exciting. He admitted he might feel nervous about playing in front of 55,000 people, far more fans that have ever watched him play before.

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